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Flying Squirrel facts

Flying squirrel is a type of squirrel which is best known for its ability to fly. There are almost fifty species of the flying squirrel that are found all over the world. The most common species among all is North American and South American squirrels which are found in America and Canada. They prefer to live in the forest regions. Flying squirrels are not endangered. Here we discuss flying squirrel facts in detail.

Interesting Flying Squirrel Facts:

The Neotropical pygmy squirrel is one of the smallest flying squirrel species in the world. The habitat of these flying squirrels is the rainforest in southern American counties of Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Suriname.

The longest flight record for this species is almost 90 meters.

Flying squirrels reaches 12 inches in length and weights is almost between 4 to 6.5 ounces.

These are omnivores and relies on various kind of nuts such as peanuts, pecans, walnuts, and hickory. They also eat other things like bird eggs, wild mushrooms, insects and some kind of flowers.

Due to predators, for example, raccoons, feathered creatures of prey, felines, mutts, foxes and coyotes, the Flying Squirrel is nighttime and scrounges for its nourishment during the evening when its predators are in sleep.

Flying Squirrels are exceptionally vocal creatures that deliver both capable of being heard and unintelligible sounds. An assortment of screeches laughs and grunts are obviously capable of being heard to people while some of their sounds are ultrasonic and can’t be heard.

Flying Squirrels are mostly arboreal. They rarely descend from the trees. This in addition to the way that they are nighttime makes it troublesome for people to watch Flying Squirrels.

In the wild, Flying Squirrels live to be around 6 years of age. In imprisonment, they can live as long as 12 years.

Since Flying Squirrels don’t really fly, they are not ready to rise. They will dependably arrive on bring down branches than where they began.

Flying Squirrels may settle together in expansive gatherings of up to 20 squirrels, in nooks or openings of trees. In spite of the fact that they don’t rest, they will assemble around other people to keep warm in the outrageous frosty.

Somewhere in the range of two and seven children are conceived at once. They are conceived bald and dazzle however grow rapidly. At one month old they can see and are not any smoother. At two months they will endeavor to float by duplicating the mother. It is difficult to tell the females from the males as they look fundamentally the same as.

The Flying Squirrel has two important features that help them to see at night. They have bulging black eyes that have been adapted to better vision at the night time.

There is a hairy film, called an agnosticism, between the front and back legs that the Flying Squirrel utilizes as a parachute when it floats. It can guide by utilizing this film as a wing and modifying it in like manner.

The level tail is utilized for adjusting on branches and adjustment when flying. In the event that need be, it can likewise securely split far from its body with no lethal outcomes.

Flying Squirrels as Pets

You can keep this flying squirrels as a pet. They are considered ad idea pet due to their meek behavior. These species lifespan ranges up to 15 years. Simply you need a small cage in your home garden to keep them as a pet. You can place a newspaper in the cage that will make the task of cleaning easier. You can feed them with the remains of fruits and vegetables and other things like nuts and seeds etc.

As flying squirrels are nocturnal so you have to feed them in the night also. Carrying your pet along with you when you’re are going outside to make a bond of care with them. One they become attached to you then you can also let them outside the cage. They need special attention from their owners also if you can’t afford then better option is to adopt an animal which doesn’t require much attention.

Northern flying squirrel:

This is a small squirrel that is about 10 inches long from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. It has very large dark round black eyes that can help it to see at the night and in darkness. It has soft cinnamon brown and grey fur above and creamy white fur below.

Range:

The northern flying squirrel can be found in Canada and in the northern United States of America. This specie is also found in the Appalachian Mountains from New England through North Carolina.

Habitat:

The Northern Flying squirrel lives in the dense forests.

Diet:

The northern flying squirrel eats nuts, fungi, lichens, and acorns. It may also eat other foods like bird eggs, small nestling birds, insects, fruits, buds, and sap.

Life cycle:

The breeding season keeps running from March to May. The female gives birth to two to five young babies after a gestation period of around 40 days. The home can be a deserted winged animal home; a bunch of twigs, greenery, and destroyed bark put in the groin of a branch; or a relinquished woodpecker gap or tree cavity. The female watches over the youthful, who are weaned when they are around two months old. They figure out how to glide when they are around three months old.

Behavior:

They are nocturnal in behavior and is active throughout the year. It is very social and friendly animal and may share a nest to live in groups.

Southern Flying Squirrel:

Southern flying squirrel is smaller than the northern flying squirrel. This species is about 7 – 10 inches in length and has thick silky grayish brown fur above and white fur below. It also has large eyes which help him to see at night.

Range:

The southern flying squirrel is found in the eastern United States. It is also found in Canada, Mexico, Central America and New Hampshire.

Habitat:

The southern flying squirrel lives in deciduous and mixed forests whit a lot of trees. They are found in areas having seedy trees, maple, popular and beech.

Diet:

These species eat berries, seeds, fruits, lichen, tree barks and nuts etc. it may also eat small insects and eggs. It stores nuts and crevices and holes in trees for use in winter.

Life Cycle:

The southern flying squirrel mates in End of winter and again in pre-fall. After the gestation period of 41 days, the female gives birth to 2 – 7 young babies. The female encourages and raises the babies. She will move them to another home in the event that she feels undermined. The babies are weaned when they are around 65 days old and start coasting when they are around five to a month and a half old. They are independent when they are around four months old.

Behavior:

The southern flying squirrel is nocturnal. it makes its nest in the cavity of the tree or in hole made by woodpecker, but it sometimes uses leaves, bark, and twigs to make a nest in a tree crotch. It doesn’t hibernate, but in the winter it may stay in its den huddled with a group of other squirrels to keep warm.